Super Backgammon

Sinclair User

Gilbert Factor 2/5

Chris Bourne 2/5

PUBLISHER: Digital Precision PRICE: £15.95 Following Chess, it was only a matter of time before Backgammon was written for the QL. The ancient game has taken a few knocks since computer programmers got their paws on it, and the Digital Precision version is about par for the course. A Quill document included on the tape provides a description of the program and the rules of the game, for those who do not know or can only read words on a TV screen instead of the box insert. A copy facility allows you to make a backup of the various Basic programs which do the business. The game is neatly presented, although nothing like as spectacular as it might have been if written in all-singing all-dancing 68000 code. To move, you type in the number of the two points involved. It would have been friendlier if the cursor keys could have been used to lift and move pieces. , Digital Precision might have been wise not to include certain features of the rules in its description. The QL is simply not interested in doubling dice and will not even recognise a gammon victory, where you get all your pieces off before the QL removes one. Its game is generally poor, even at the highest level of four, and any reasonable player should thrash it. Some of its moves are positively anile, especially at the lower levels. Worse still, it cheats. According to the rules, you must play both dice if you can. It's no good moving one to make yourself unable to play the second. Digital Precision knows that, because it is on the insert. The QL clearly doesn't, and can smugly play accordingly. A computer which cheats when, nine times out of ten, it ought to be able to beat most people at any remotely intellectual game, is an unlovely thing. Digital Precision should teach the QL good manners if they plan to continue producing software for it.